Around 2.3 million people visit Majorca each year, making it an incredibly popular tourist destination especially amongst Brits.
Over the years, overcrowding and congestion on the roads has caused a major issue and locals have blamed the volume of tourists visiting the island. The roads are often gridlocked, with one local politician putting blame on tourists who rent cars. He even attempted to impose a ban to limit how many can in the hope of easing congestion.
Last summer locals held anti-tourism demonstrations. They hoped the action would put an end to overcrowding soaring housing costs on the island.
However, new evidence has came to light and to locals horror, it’s not tourists who are to blame for the traffic problems.
A survey by the Council of Mallorca has revealed that 81% of journeys on local roads are actually made by residents. The report showed that roads are actually gridlocked in winter too, a time when most tourists have left the island and returned to their own countries, adding to the evidence that it is in fact locals causing the problem, reports the Express.
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The report concluded that local residents own too many cars – which is the real reason behind their travel misery. Local residents have also expressed concern over how local authorities will tackle the traffic problem, with environmentalists blocking attempts to build new roads.
This comes after over tourism protests that were mainly concentrated in Palma, the island’s capital, forced British tourists to consider whether or not to visit the island.
According to local news outlet the Majorca Daily Bulletin, roughly 44% of people will now think twice before holidaying in Majorca.
The small island’s economy heavily relies on tourism, and so despite the protests, local authorities maintain that British holidaymakers are welcome.
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